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Cigars I Like

This page is my scratch space for cigars I like. This is entirely personal preference. I get a chance to smoke maybe once a month so don’t expect there to be frequent updates. This page is not an endorsement. If I actually got free cigars to try I will note that this cigar was a freebie. It won’t happen. If I can, I will link to the manufacturer’s website.

Romeo Y Julieta – Terrible website but a great cigar. I’ve had this both new and aged and it really holds up. These tend to go “creamy” when they’re new which mellows out to “chocolatey” when they’re aged. This taste isn’t pronounced like flavored cigars.

La AuroraBarrel Aged – La Aurora cannot do any wrong by me, I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad one. Their barrel aged line – not all the cigars are out of the park OH MY GOD awesome but when you get a good one it’s a fantastic array of flavors.

Ashton – Another brand which is hideously expensive but worth the cash for special occasions is the Ashton line. The cigars are spot on. The white band with light wrapper (classico) is particularly mellow. That cigar was a fingerburner for me, I was sorry to see it go.

Perdomo – Right now I am smoking a Perdomo Reserve Maduro 10th Anniversary. It’s one of the cigars I like, it’s about right on the edge of “spicy” but not overpowering. It’s definitely “full bodied” without being “wooo puke”. The pull on this is brown sugar all the way, sometimes creamy, sometimes leathery. All delicious. They boat like it’s their job but they also taste great. No points for ash retention either, but with something this good how can you go wrong? Perdomo Lot 23 I wasn’t huge on, it definitely was missing the sugar. The Reserve is excellent. I get the impression that Lot 23 isn’t consistent.

Gurkha – I tried the evil yesterday in toro size. Not too impressed, but considering the price point ($4) I can’t say it sucked. It had a wicked draw which didn’t improve, on the other hand the smoke was thick and flavorful. The problem in my opinion is that the flavors are cloying at best for the generic “cigar flavor” and fleeting for all the other flavors. It may be a wrapper-versus-filler thing but I only managed to tease out a nice leather flavor after letting the cigar almost go out. The balance there is really hard to hit between temperature and flavor. Now it’s not to say the generic cigar flavor isn’t good, it’s certainly on the mark, but it also means there’s no real other flavors present so it’s really nothing special. Acceptable? Yes.

Acid – Really this is by Drew Estate and until they stop being Gay for Flash I can’t link directly to the product line. I tried the blue label. Just a note on this and other flavored cigars – don’t put them in your regular humidor. You’re not supposed to put them in any humidor since ageing them does not improve them. That being said, if you’re enjoying one of these the flavor just kicks you square in the face. It’s not a bad flavor, but there’s not a lot of “cigar” versus “other” flavors and it’s due to their “flavor tea” process. The other problem I have with these is that they boat like it’s cool. I’m told leaving them out for an hour or a day before enjoying them improves both of these, but I haven’t tried it. The blue label is a nice sort of berry flavor, and it smells like incense. My wife, who is typically critical of the “cigar stink” said the smell was inoffensive. It’s not a bad flavor either, but I really do feel like the whole thing is shisha (water pipe tobacco) in a cigar wrapper.

Imperial by Gran Habano– This was my first cigar review that got published. “This is a value cigar I would love to love, but it’s got flaws. For one, the taste is spot on. It’s pretty much as advertised, and the prelight has really interesting grape or fig notes. The cigar taste is represented well. The grape/fig goes away almost immediately. Unlike some, this cigar isn’t harsh on the light. The first third is enjoyable with some cream, some wood, pleasant spice. The middle third has a bit of raisins in it and a lot more wood in the roof of my mouth. The last third produces a rest and burn consistent with better priced cigars, and is all wood and spice. Quite pleasant. The biggest problem is the draw and burn. The ash falls off of it just as soon as you touch it. The draw is horrid, the cigar is packed so tightly I’ve had to cut the cap off completely. The burn is also terrible and it wants to die soon as you rest it. The relight does not produce any off flavors but if you’re someone who nurses your cigar, this isn’t your stick. I’m two into my test flight and they both burned and drew like this. A pipe reamer will make this a much better experience for you. The construction is such that this cigar will take the pipe reamer without problems, but I wish it were done in the first place.”

Pinar Del Rio – Their claim to fame is that their cigars are made with oak instead of cedar for the tools and wood which comes in contact with the tobacco. The cigars are really top notch and if you’re looking for something good while not being flavored, it’s worth a try. The oak comes through nicely and I think it’s a good change to the formula. Other flavors there are chocolate and earth in their line. The Oscuro is quite mild and lets the oak come through nicely, it’s the first one I would suggest people try.

Nestor Miranda – Similar to the La Aurora cigars, they can do no wrong. I’ve had the special selection (full of flavor), the Dominican (smooth as anything I’ve ever tried), and the Grand Reserve (which is somewhere between the first two). I prefer the Special Selection, and I had originally passed on the Dominican due to the cartoony label. This is a mistake, and it’s impolite to smoke with the label on anyway. Ditch the label and enjoy the smoke.